He did the right thing
by MyBeewing
Summary: Just the end of TROS from Ben Solo/Kylo Ren's point of view. There are a few thing I invented. WARNING ! SPOILERS ! It's my first time doing this so feel free to add any constructive commentaries.


_He was here._

Ben barely glanced at the cliff as he bolted underneath its floating mass. He had no time to stop and stare at the colossal statues of the siths. And he had no thoughts but one as he headed for the crack to the end of which he'd find her. He could feel Rey advancing, ready to kill the emperor.

_Faster, or it'll be to late._

But it was already too late. He would have laughed at the irony as the Knights of Ren, his own guard, circled him. Instead, Ben felt his panic rise, because _he didn't have the time_. A hundred meters away, Rey was going to strike Palpatine down. And Ben started a fight he knew he would lose.

In a few seconds, he had defeated one opponent, but the others had stuck him more times than he could count. As he stood there, panting, a feeling dawned upon him.

Panic.

And doubt.

Anger.

And fear. So much fear. Fear of himself. No. Of herself. The dyade ! It was still there !

_Rey ?_

No answer. But a new emotion. Hope.

_Rey, if you can hear me, fight. There's another way out of this. Trust me._

Silence. Then.

_Together ?_

_Together._ Ben almost laughed again. This time because of the relief he felt. They would do this, together. Like they should have done a long time ago. He could feel Rey drawing her lightsaber, and this time he knew what she would do. Their bond was intact and stronger than ever. _They would do this._

The Knights of Ren tightened their circle. At the same time, a lightsaber fell into Ben's hand. He smiled. _And so the battle begins._

-

Ben was running again. Through the crack to find Rey, and the battle he knew would end all of it. In a good or bad way. He reached Rey and they stood together, sabers drawn, in the same fighting stance. Ready for the final fight. But it wasn't enough.

The emperor laughed. "Did you really think you could beat me ? If you won't kill me, I _will_ kill you."

He raised his hands high in the air, and started sucking the life out of them.

-

It started as a sting, which morphed into a throb, and became a cold burn, as their bond grew weaker and Palpatine laughed as their dyade made him alive again. And the torture went on and on and on and the harsh, icy burn conquered their body, raging a cold inferno in their veins and muscles and heart and nerves until nothing was left and Ben and Rey collapsed on the floor, a sweet blackness taking them away.

-

_Empty._

_Void._

_Black._

_So tired._

_Rey._

Ben opened his eyes slowly, the movement worsening his headache. His whole body aching, he managed to get up.

_It's not over. It won't be. I won't stop fighting, not until I'm dead._

The emperor spoke, his eyes glistening: "So you're awake ! Good ! Revenge is a sweet thing, don't you think ? I can now do to you what your grandfather did to me. You will fall."

Ben looked over his shoulder. A gaping hole stared back at him, full of mist and cloud, the bottom invisible. He tried to fight but he was so tired…

With a flick of his hand the emperor pushed him over the edge.

-

Pain. Ben had miraculously landed after falling less than three hundred feet. Instead of dying, he'd twisted an ankle, broken his leg and dislocated a shoulder.

_I have to get back up._

The emperor could still be heard, and he wouldn't leave Rey alone. So he began his long climb back up.

-

Ben was almost there. The climb up was almost over. He could see the edge sixteen feet above. Then seven. Then three. Then, finally, he grasped the edge of the cliff. With an exhausted grunt, he hauled himself up.

During his climb, he'd heard, powerless, as Rey fought alone against Palpatine. He'd heard the emperor be consumed by his own lightning. But now Rey was quiet. And as he looked in her direction he could see why. He began to hobble, slowly, painfully, dragging his broken leg. He fell.

_No, let me get up, I just have to get to her._

He almost passed out from the pain when he rose again, praying. His blood roared in his ears and he frantically tried to go quicker.

_Please, don't let her be dead. Please._ But Ben could see her, laying motionless on the floor, her eyes open. His heart broke.

Agony. His soul being ripped out, his heart being carved out. _Rey._ He couldn't lose her now. He couldn't let it happen. But her body was limp in his arms and her eyes gazed at nothing.

"No !" He mouthed the words but couldn't get them out. He wanted to cry out in anguish but his voice was gone. He looked around for any help, already knowing none would be there.

He was cradling Rey's body when he remembered. After throwing his lightsaber in the sea, he'd had a visit. Obi-Wan Kenobi had gestured at the wound Rey had just healed and told him: "When the time comes, you'll understand." Now, Ben raised his head and heard him again.

"Remember. There must be balance in the Force. One life for a death"

Ben laid Rey down and concentrated. When he closed his eyes, he felt his life force flow through him and to Rey and so he kept his hand on her stomach, until another hand covered his.

Rey's eyes scanned his face, puzzled. She got in a sitting position and cupped his face with her hands. Her searching eyes found his and Ben felt his heart swell with love, a love he had tried to ignore for as long as he remembered.

And so, for the first and last time of his life, as Rey leaned in to kiss him and his heart slowed down, he gave in to that love and kissed her back. Then he looked at her and smiled, happily, because she would live, but sadly as well, because she still thought this could end in a good way. He could see it in her face. But he knew better. He could already feel himself losing hold on reality, slipping, falling down…

He barely heard the _thud_ his body made when it hit the floor. He barely felt Rey's hands pressing his arms as she understood what was happening. He was already so far away…

A beat…

and another…

….

and another…

…

…

...another…

…

…

...

.

And Ben Solo was in peace as he faded in the nothingness because deep down was a thought, a certainty.

_He had made the right choice. Because she was alive._


End file.
